Combined multi-media and in ear monitoring system and method of remote monitoring and control thereof

• US 20050113136A1
• Filed: 10/27/2004
• Published: 05/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: George J. Gosieski Jr
• Original Assignee: G Squared, LLC
• Inventors: Gosieski, George J. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 7,231,233 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/556.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks

Abstract

A combined microphone and in-ear monitoring (IEM) system enhances sound and/or visual data transmission, production, recording, reinforcement and monitoring in real-time.

Claims

1. A method for remote monitoring and adjustment of sound or visual parameters in a wireless media system having an audio subsystem and an in-ear monitoring (IEM) subsystem, comprising the steps of:

providing an access point in two-way communication with said audio and IEM subsystems, said access point capable of receiving subsystem status data and digitized audio data from said audio subsystem, and further capable of receiving subsystem status data from said IEM subsystem, and further capable of transmitting IEM audio and control data to said IEM subsystem;

providing a control surface in two-way communication with said access point, said control surface capable of receiving said audio data and subsystem data from said access point, identifying parameters of said audio data so as to allow said parameters to be monitored, receiving adjustment signals for said parameters from said control surface in the form of IEM control data, and transmitting said IEM control data to said access point for communication to said IEM subsystem.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said control surface is capable of displaying parameter information associated with said parameters such that a user of said control surface can visually monitor said parameters.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said adjustment signals are received from a user of said control surface.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said monitoring and adjustment of said parameters is performed automatically according to programming associated with said control surface.

5. The method of claim 1 including the steps of creating and storing an acoustic model of a performance venue based on said parameters.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said control surface includes programming to provide a recommended set of parameters.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said programming considers at least one of an acoustic model, venue setting history, engineer adjustment history and performance type setting history in providing said recommended set of parameters.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said audio subsystem or said IEM subsystem includes a transceiver body pack.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said audio subsystem or said IEM subsystem includes a hand-held transceiver.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said access point is integrated into said control surface as via an interface card.

11. The method of claim 1 including the steps of remotely monitoring and adjusting global parameters, said global parameters including at least sound, IEM, radio and power supply parameters.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein said audio system further includes a radio subsystem, and a power supply subsystem, and wherein said base station is further capable of receiving subsystem status data from said radio and power supply subsystems and transmitting control data to said radio and power supply subsystems.

13. The method of claim 1 further including the step of providing a visual subsystem in two-way communication with said access point, said access point capable of receiving subsystem status data and digitized visual data from said visual subsystem, wherein said control surface is capable of receiving said visual data from said access point so as to allow said visual parameters to be monitored, and further is capable of receiving adjustment signals for said parameters in the form of visual subsystem control data for transmitting to said visual subsystem.

14. The method of claim 13 further including the step of creating and storing a visual model of a performance venue based on said visual parameters.

15. A media system for remotely monitoring and adjusting audio or visual parameters in a wireless media system having an audio subsystem and an in-ear monitoring (IEM) subsystem, comprising:

an access point in two-way communication with said audio and IEM subsystems, said access point capable of receiving subsystem status data and digitized audio data from said audio subsystem, and further capable of receiving subsystem status data from said IEM subsystem, and further capable of transmitting IEM audio and control data to said IEM subsystem;

a control surface in two-way communication with said access point, said control surface capable of receiving said audio data and subsystem data from said access point, identifying parameters associated with said audio data so as to allow said parameters to be monitored, receiving adjustment signals for said parameters from said control surface in the form of IEM control data, and transmitting said IEM control data to said access point for communication to said IEM subsystem.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein said control surface is capable of displaying parameter information associated with said parameters such that a user of said control surface can visually monitor said parameters.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein said adjustment signals are received from a user of said control surface.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein said audio subsystem or said IEM subsystem includes a transceiver body pack.

19. The system of claim 15 wherein said audio subsystem or said IEM subsystem includes a hand-held transceiver.

20. The system of claim 15 wherein said access point is integrated into said control surface via an interface card.

21. The system of claim 15 including means for remotely monitoring and adjusting global parameters, said global parameters including at least sound, IEM, microphone, radio and power supply parameters.

22. The system of claim 15 wherein said audio system further includes a radio subsystem, and a power supply subsystem, and wherein said access point is further capable of receiving subsystem status data from said radio and power supply subsystems and transmitting control data to said radio and power supply subsystems.

23. The system of claim 15 including means for dynamically assigning a modulation scheme for said microphone subsystem.

24. The system of claim 15 further including a visual subsystem in two-way communication with said access point, said access point capable of receiving subsystem status data and digitized visual data from said visual subsystem, wherein said control surface is capable of receiving said visual data from said access point so as to allow said visual parameters to be monitored, and further is capable of receiving adjustment signals for said parameters in the form of visual subsystem control data for transmitting to said visual subsystem.

26. The method of claim 15 further including the step of creating and storing a visual model of a performance venue based on said visual parameters.

27. A method for remote monitoring and adjustment of sound parameters in a wireless audio system having a microphone subsystem, an in-ear monitoring (IEM) subsystem and a radio subsystem, comprising the steps of:

providing an access point in two-way communication with said microphone and IEM subsystems, said base station capable of receiving subsystem status data and digitized audio data from said microphone subsystem, and further capable of receiving subsystem status data from said IEM subsystem and said radio subsystem, and further capable of transmitting IEM audio and control data to said IEM subsystem, and transmitting control data to said radio subsystem;

providing system control programming in two-way communication with said access point, said control programming comprising programming capable of receiving said audio data and subsystem data from said access point, identifying parameters of said audio data so as to allow said parameters to be monitored, receiving adjustment signals for said parameters in the form of IEM control data and radio control data, and transmitting said IEM control data and radio control data to said access point for respective communication to said IEM subsystem and said radio subsystem.

28. An article of manufacture comprising a computer instruction carrier, readable by a computer, tangibly embodying one or more instructions executable by the computer to perform a method of remotely monitoring and adjusting sound parameters in a wireless media system having an audio subsystem and an in-ear monitoring (EM) subsystem, the method comprising the steps of:

establishing two-way communication with said audio and IEM subsystems so as to be capable of receiving subsystem status data and digitized audio data from said audio subsystem, and further capable of receiving subsystem status data from said IEM subsystem, and further capable of transmitting IEM audio and control data to said IEM subsystem;

programming for identifying parameters of said audio data so as to allow said parameters to be monitored, receiving adjustment signals for said parameters from said control surface in the form of IEM control data, and transmitting said IEM control data to said base station for communication to said IEM subsystem.

29. The article of claim 28 wherein said adjustment signals are received from a user of a user interface associated with said programming.

30. The article of claim 28 wherein said adjustment signals are received according to further programming associated with said memory.

31. A wireless controller for use with a wireless media system having an audio subsystem and an in-ear monitoring (IEM) subsystem, comprising:

sound system control programming for monitoring and receiving adjustment signals for sound parameters associated with signals received from said audio subsystem and said IEM subsystem; and

external system control programming for monitoring and receiving adjustment signals for at least one of lighting and visual equipment.

32. A wireless headset, comprising:

a microphone subsystem for receiving an analog signal and transmitting said analog signal to a transceiver for digitizing said signal for processing and at least one of monitoring, broadcast, playback or storage, said transceiver further converting a received signal as processed to an analog return signal capable of being transmitted; and

an in-ear monitoring (IEM) system for playing a transmitted analog return signal from said transceiver, said microphone subsystem and said IEM system being integrated as a unit which can be worn on a user'"'"'s head.

33. The headset of claim 32 wherein said transceiver is integrally formed with said headset.

34. The headset of claim 32 wherein said transceiver is a standalone transceiver separate from said headset.

35. A wireless microphone system, comprising:

a microphone for receiving analog microphone data and transmitting said data in analog or digitized form; and

a transceiver receiving said data from said microphone for processing and broadcast, playback or storage, digitizing said data if received as analog data, and further receiving a signal representative of said data as processed and converting said received signal to an analog return signal capable of being transmitted.

36. The system of claim 35 further comprising an in-ear monitoring (IEM) system for receiving said analog return signal as transmitted from said transceiver.

37. The system of claim 35 wherein said data is processed so as to affect sound parameters of said signal.

38. The system of claim 35 wherein said data is processed by a control surface in two-way communication with said transceiver.

39. The system of claim 38 wherein said control surface includes programming for allowing a user of said control surface to continually monitor said sound parameters, and to adjust said sound parameters.

40. The system of claim 36 wherein said IEM system comprises an ear apparatus.

41. The system of claim 36 wherein said microphone and said IEM system are integrated into a headset.

42. A method of providing a wireless multi-media system within a full duplex bi-directional media system, comprising the steps of:

providing an audio subsystem for receiving analog audio data and transmitting said data;

providing a visual subsystem for receiving analog visual data and transmitting said data; and

providing a transceiver receiving said data from said audio and visual subsystems, digitizing said data for processing and playback or storage, and further receiving a signal representative of said data as processed and converting said received signal to an analog return signal capable of being transmitted.

43. The method of claim 42 wherein said audio subsystem comprises a microphone.

44. The method of claim 42 including the further step of providing system control programming for establishing two-way communication with said transceiver so as to be capable of receiving subsystem status data and digitized audio data from said audio subsystem, said system control programming being further for identifying parameters of said audio data so as to allow said parameters to be monitored, receiving adjustment signals for said parameters in the form of in-ear monitoring (IEM) control data, and transmitting said IEM control data to said transceiver.

45. The method of claim 44 including the further step of providing an in-ear monitoring (IEM) subsystem in two-way communication with said transceiver.

46. A wireless in-ear monitoring (IEM) system, comprising:

a base station;

a transceiver in two-way communication with said base station;

at least one IEM ear apparatus in two-way communication with said transceiver;

means for transmitting IEM data and IEM control data wirelessly from said base station to the transceiver for re-transmission to said at least one IEM ear apparatus;

means for transmitting IEM system status data from said at least one IEM ear apparatus to said transceiver; and

,

means for re-transmitting said IEM system status data to the base station.

47. The system of claim 46 wherein said wireless IEM data and control data transmitting means, said IEM system status data transmitting means, and said re-transmitting means are each one of:

Bluetooth, Zigbee, UWB, wireless USB (WUSB).

48. The system of claim 46 wherein said IEM data, IEM subsystem data, and IEM control data can be transmitted directly between said at least one IEM ear apparatus and the base station.

49. The system of claim 46 including a plurality of transceivers each in two-way communication with an associated IEM ear apparatus.

50. The system of claim 46 having a sampling rate of at least 48 kHz/24 and a frequency response in the range of at most 10 Hz to at least 22 kHz.

51. The system of claim 46 having a sampling rate of at least 96 kHz/24 and a frequency response in the range of at most 10 Hz to at least 45 kHz.

52. The system of claim 46 having a sampling rate of at least 192 kHz/24-bit resolution and a frequency response in the range of at most 10 Hz to at least 85 kHz.

53. The system of claim 46 having a DSD-compliant sampling rate and a frequency response in the range of at most 10 Hz to 100 kHz.

54. The system of claim 46 wherein said IEM ear apparatus is in two-way communication with said transceiver via a wired connection.

55. The system of claim 46 wherein said IEM ear apparatus is in two-way communication with said transceiver via a wireless connection.

56. A wireless in-ear monitoring (IEM) system, comprising:

a base station;

at least one IEM ear apparatus in two-way communication with said base station;

means for transmitting IEM data and IEM control data wirelessly from said base station to the IEM ear apparatus; and

means for transmitting IEM system status data from said at least one IEM ear apparatus to said base station.

57. A method for bi-directional, full duplex communication using an in-ear monitoring device, comprising the steps of:

providing an in-ear monitoring (IEM) device having a status and means for transmitting information about said status; and

providing a client for receiving and digitizing audio signals from a microphone or instrument pickup, and for receiving said IEM device status information, and for transmitting said audio signals and said IEM status information for processing by an access point, said transceiver also for receiving at least IEM control data signals from said access point in response to processing of said audio signals and IEM status information, and transmitting said IEM control data signals to said IEM device.

58. The method of claim 57 wherein said means for transmitting information about said IEM status is one of:

Bluetooth, Zigbee, UWB, wireless USB.

59. The method of claim 57 wherein said transceiver transmits said audio signals and IEM status information via one of:

Bluetooth, Zigbee, UWB, wireless USB.

60. A wireless in-ear monitoring system, comprising:

an in-ear monitoring (IEM) device having a status and means for transmitting information about said status, said IEM device including binaural ear insert members allowing at least external noise to be received by a user wearing said IEM device; and

a transceiver for receiving and digitizing audio signals from a microphone or instrument pickup, and for receiving said IEM device status information, and for transmitting said audio signals and said IEM status information for processing by an access point, said transceiver also for receiving at least IEM control data signals from said access point in response to processing of said audio signals and IEM status information, and transmitting said IEM control data signals to said IEM device.

61. A wireless device interface system, comprising:

a wireless device having a status and means for transmitting information about said status; and

a transceiver for receiving and digitizing media signals from an audio or visual input device, and for receiving said device status information, and for transmitting said media signals and said device status information for processing by an access point, said transceiver also for receiving at least device control data signals from said access point in response to processing of said media signals and device status information, and transmitting said device control data signals to said device.

62. The system of claim 61 wherein said device is a speaker device and said media signals are audio signals.

63. The system of claim 61 wherein said device is a visual display device and said media signals are visual signals.